Bowling game



March 27, 1951 LUND 2,546,399

BOWLING GAME Filed May 3, 1947 Patented Mar. 27, 1 951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a bowling game.

Specifically the invention deals with a gener ally U-shaped bowling game which may approximate a standard bowling alley in size, may be constructed of smaller sizes for use in home recreational rooms, or may be constructed as a toy.

According to this invention a generally U-shaped alley is provided which combines the advantages of the U-shaped and straight alleys. Because the game is formed in a U -shape, the player may easily set up his own pins, the game requires less than half the length of an ordinary standard alley, and more skill is required to make a good score, thus prolonging interest by making possible a greater range of improvement. The alley comprises a straight fiat primary lane and a straight flat secondary lane connected by a curved bowl-shaped lane or bight portion so formed as to bank a ball thrown at normal speed on the primary lane into the same alley position in the secondary lane, and to confine a very fast ball within the alley. Thus a straight ball thrown down the center of the primary lane or a hook ball that moves to the center of this lane as it approaches the curved portion will maintain center position after it rounds the curve. The secondary lane and about the second half of the curved or bight portion of the alley are formed with channels which function analogously to the gutters in straight alleys. No gutters are provided on approximately the first half of the alley, including the entire length of the primary lane and the adjacent portion of the curved lane, thuspermitting free play and greater accuracy in directing the ball along the alley. The gutter on the high side of the curved portion is shaped to retain the ball therein even when the centrifugal force component acting on the ball is low enough to permit the ballto roll down the embankment. Thus, once the ball enters a gutter, it will remain there.

It is, then, an object of this invention to provide a bowling game which combines the advantages of the U-shaped and straight alleys in affording a U-shaped alley and which permits of an accurate. consistent, and interesting game.

A further object of the invention is to provide a U-shaped alley having gutters which function analogously to those of a straight alley.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bowling alley with a gutterless primary lane.

A specific object of this invention is to provide a bowling alley with straight fiat primary and secondary lanes connected by a banked segmental circular lane having ball retaining walls capable of holding a-ball within the confines of a the alley irrespective of the speed of the ball.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bowling game which requires more skill than regular bowling by placing a premium not only on consistent direction, but also on uniformspeed of delivery, while still maintaining the game as purely a matter of skill.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed drawings which disclose a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the bowling game embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line IIII of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings:

The bowling alley construction In of my invention is of a generally U-shape and comprises a flat straight first lane II, a flat straight second lane l2, and an intermediate banked curved lane portion I3. The bowling game construction may be of any size, but will be described as apj proximating a standard-bowling alley in size.

In bowling, a ball would be thrown from in front of the primary lane II, the ball being di rected down the lane II and rolling around the banked curved portion! 3 and down the secondary lane 12 toward pins l4. Scoring for the U-shaped also be equipped with mirrors. lights, or other guides to assist bowlers in aiming at the pins it such is desired.

The primary lane l I is emiinned with an inside fiange l5 for insuring that the ball will not leave the alley. The outside of the lane H has an overhanging lip [6 which will be effective to maintain any ball, regardless of speed, within the alley. The flange I5 and lip 16 extend along the inside and outside of the alley, respectively, along its entire length. As seen in Figure 1, the lip I6 becomes more pronounced gradually as it extends around the curve and an opposed ball receiving groove or channel H is gradually formed therebelow to provide a gutter at the outside of the alley. As seen in Figure 1, an inside groove or channel I8 is graduallyformed during the second half off thecurve to provide a second gutter for the ball.

Thus while the primary lane does not have gut-- ters, the second lane is provided therewith and these gutters function analogously to the gutters in a straight bowling alley. Omittinggutters in the primary lane permits free play and greater accuracy in directing the ball alongtheaprimary lane. If the ball is directed with too muchspeed, it will be apparent that the outside gutter l i will" receive the ball and the ball will be guided to the outside of the pins and no scorewill" be madei Similarly, ifthe ball" is directed with too little force; the ball will roll'-' into the gutter !8-' and be directed thereal'on-g on the insideof the'pins i4, resulting in a zermscore:

The curved. portionis. designed so as 1 tot'end 'to maintain the alley position of aball thrownl atnormal" speed; It is so formed that a very fast ball will be confined within-theall'ey, as will a very slow ball The curve' i's preferably'sodesigned that a straight-ball thrown down the center-of the alley or 'a-hook ball that movesto the center of the primary-lane. as it' approaches the curved portion will maintain.thecent'er'po sition after it rounds the curve= The alley-may be; surfaced with wood; metal, composition; Qr'similarimaterialZas:generally in! dicated by reference-numeral: I 9;:and' the curved portion may be reinforced WithECOIlCI'EtBFOIi-TS'GIUC--- turalbracinga foul Ilinamay be provided: as; forsinstancex at 20. The straight primary and secondary lanes ares-shown tDfbBFGfl equal lengthy however; this is not essential'iandE is merelyforl'the' convenience of a player who wishes to set up his own pins and for achieving a minimumclength fon-thegame m. The primary and secondary lanes may be parallelzandwseparatedl-bya distance of from 0116:1302 fourtimes" the. width; of: either-the-primary or: the secondarylane:, The: curved; portion of? thealley'is'preferablwwiderthanhthe primary-on sec? ondary lane to: allow for the-momentum of the: ball. The: surfaces; ofv thetprimary and": second ary lanes may have theesarrrez-width while the secondary lane isrprovideehwithchannels or gut-- ters in additionzthereto. The primary and: SEQ- ondarylanes; are preferaibly flat andhorizontal overthev major part-of. the surfacev It will thus be apparent. thatrI have provided a bowling; gameawhich zcombines the advantages of ther u-shaped and straight alleysin affording: the convenience and-compactness otithelurshaped alleys-= while maintaining, the features of, a; straight alley; such-as accuracy,.consistency, and interest, afiorded by, a game, success in \which i is dependent almostsolelyc upon, the skill of. the player.

It; win of course, be: understood that. various details-of. construction may, belvariedwithin a. wide range without departing from. the, princi? ples: of this -invention and it .is, therefore not ,the

4 purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bowling game comprising a generally U- shaped alley including a pair of flat horizontal lanes and a banked curved lane, an inside flange extending along the inner periphery of the U- shapedlalley arranged to receiveand retain bowling balls therein; an outer lipoverhanging and extending along the outer peripheral portion of the U-shaped alley for maintaining balls therein, the inner wall of said outer peripheral portion gradually forming into a channel gutter as it progresses about the upper edge of the banked curved portion of the alley and along one horizontalllanef thereof and cooperating with said overhanging lip to receive and retain a ball therein.

2. A bowling game comprising a generally U- shaped alley including a pair of flat horizontal lanes'an'd abanked curved lane; an insid'e' flange extendingal'ong the inner periphery of'the U- shape'd alley for maintaining bowling balls therein, an outer overhanging lip-extending alongthe" outer peripheral portion of the U-shaped alley for'maintaining bowlingballs therein, an outside gutter'extending below a portion of said lip and gradually deepening as it progresses about" the upperedge' of the banked curved portion of the" alley to extend along one horizontal lanetliereof-i' and" cooperatingwith said" lip for retaining a bowling ball therein even when the ball' slows down,- and an inner gutter gradually deepening onthe inside of the *U-shaped lane at the curved:

portion thereof 'and extending parallel to said outside gutter along said one horizontal lane.

3. A bowlingalley comprising flat straight pri--- mary and secondary alleys extending in spaced side by side relation, a banked segmental circular alley connecting said primary and secondary alleys, said-banked a'll'ey having a high outer side equippedwith a gradually deepening gutter and agradually widening overhanging lip, and said gutter extending under' aportion" only of said lip' and alongthe" outerside of saiol-= secondary alley.

4% A bowling-game comprising twoparallellanes lying'inthe'same'horizontalplane connected" by acurvedand banked-Enedfihihg asubstan tia llytrue semiwircular path to which saidparal lel lanes' are tangent,- and said curved lane and" one of said parallel lanes having gutters formed along a portionofi the margin'aledges thereof.

RUSSEBLD; BUNDL- REFERENCES CITED The followinglreferences are'of record in the" 

